LOS ANGELES: Zach LaVine’s scored 18 points but his biggest contributions came late in the game as the Chicago Bulls eased past the Orlando Magic 105-101 on Monday (Tuesday in Manila). LaVine busted loose for a thunderous go-ahead dunk to break a 101-101 tie then iced the win with two free throws for the Bulls, [...] The post LaVine lifts Bulls past Magic, Jazz on a roll appeared first on The Manila Times Online......»»

With the NBA 3X Philippines Playoffs kicking off this weekend at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall, the mind inevitably drifts off to imagining how actual NBA players would do in a three-on-three competition. To aid that musing, here are our picks to represent the 30 NBA franchises, should the league decide to have such a tournament. Of course, this was easier for some teams, compared to others, and perhaps that challenge is what makes the mental exercise so intriguing. Disagree with our four-man selections? Let us know in the comments! Atlanta Hawks - John Collins, Taurean Prince, Trae Young, Vince Carter The Hawks go young with their squad, and could have even gone younger, plugging in rookies Kevin Huerter or Omari Spellman into their fourth spot. However, the very chance of 41-year-old Vince Carter dunking on people in a 3X game is too tantalizing to pass up. Boston Celtics - Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward, Al Horford, Jaylen Brown The deep, deep Celtics have plenty of ways to go. You could field a defense-oriented squad with Marcus Smart and Aron Baynes leading the way, or go guns-blazing with Jayson Tatum. However, we're opting for a middle-of-the-road approach here, with the established superstars leading the way, plus the ultra-versatile Jaylen Brown filling the fourth seat. Brooklyn Nets - Spencer Dinwiddie, Jarrett Allen, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Joe Harris The Nets have acquired plenty of veterans in exchange for draft picks over their rebuilding process, and a Jared Dudley-Kenneth Faried-Allen Crabbe-Ed Davis quartet has some appeal. We're opting for some of their younger stars though, and you could definitely make the argument that D'Angelo Russell should be somewhere in the mix too. Charlotte Hornets - Kemba Walker, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Cody Zeller, Nic Batum A pretty obvious selection for Buzz City here. We will possibly revise this if Malik Monk makes a second-year leap. Chicago Bulls - Kris Dunn, Zach LaVine, Wendell Carter Jr., Lauri Markkanen Sure Denzel Valentine and Jabari Parker have claims to a spot, but the above four are definitely the pieces Chicago seems to be building around long-term. Cleveland Cavaliers - Kevin Love, Larry Nance Jr., Cedi Osman, Collin Sexton We'll pretend that Jordan Clarkson is off at Gilas practice and unavailable. Also, JR Smith not knowing the score might be more problematic in a 3-on-3 game, so he'll sit this one out. Dallas Mavericks - Dirk Nowitzki, Luka Doncic, Dennis Smith Jr., DeAndre Jordan The Mavericks' two super-kids in Doncic and DSJ are obvious shoo-ins, as is the venerable Dirk. The fourth spot is a bit up for grabs, but I'm opting here for their offseason acquisition Jordan. Harrison Barnes though would be deserving of the spot too. Denver Nuggets - Paul Millsap, Gary Harris, Jamal Murray, Nikola Jokic This is Denver's core and boy is it a powerful one, though Millsap will probably have to take on the bulk of the defensive chores. It's also tempting to figure out a way to add Isaiah Thomas, who has the potential to go off in such a tournament. Detroit Pistons - Andre Drummond, Blake Griffin, Reggie Jackson, Stanley Johnson Detroit's 'Big Three' of Drummond, Griffin, and Jackson are obvious shoo-ins. The question mark is the fourth guy. Henry Ellenson for a little jack-of-all-trades? Luke Kennard for shooting? In the end, I'm going with Stanley Johnson, crossing fingers that under new coach Dwane Casey, his stats will take a leap forward. Golden State Warriors - Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Kevin Durant With DeMarcus Cousins still iffy with his achilles tear, we'll have to "settle" for GSW's All-Star quartet. Also, we may have found the thing to start a little in-fighting among the Dubs - figuring out who of the four starts on the bench. Houston Rockets - Chris Paul, James Harden, Clint Capela, Carmelo Anthony Maybe there's a possibility that PJ Tucker would be a better fit than Melo, but Chris Paul says Anthony's in, and who am I to argue? Indiana Pacers - Victor Oladipo, Myles Turner, Domantas Sabonis, Bojan Bogdanovic The Pacers surprised many last season, and this quartet was at the center of their uprising. One extremely hard cut? New signing Tyreke Evans, though he would duplicate a lot of what Oladipo brings to the table. Los Angeles Clippers - Avery Bradley, Danilo Gallinari, Tobias Harris, Patrick Beverley, Injuries aside, this is a very potent four-some from the Clips. The Bradley + Beverley combo should put the clamps on anyone, while freeing up Gallo or Harris from downtown. Los Angeles Lakers - LeBron James, Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma I was tempted to go with a Meme Team lineup of Rajon Rondo, Lance Stephenson and JaVale McGee, along with LBJ (and apologies to Michael Beasley), but let's go with the Lakers kids instead. The mix of youth and James' experience ought to be a potent combo. Memphis Grizzlies - Mike Conley, Marc Gasol, Chandler Parsons, Jaren Jackson Jr. Once upon a time, a Grit 'N Grind four of Conley, Gasol, Tony Allen, and Zach Randolph probably could have run away with this. Instead, we're hoping Parsons is healthy enough to spread the floor, and that Jackson Jr. is as impressive as he was in Summer League. Miami Heat - Bam Adebayo, Goran Dragic, James Johnson, Josh Richardson There are plenty of ways to go with the Heat. Kelly Olynyk was a great addition last offseason. Hassan Whiteside, despite his clashes with the coaching staff, could still submit a dominant performance. A healthy Dion Waiters is a very 3x3-esque player. Oh, and if the Heat bring back Dwyane Wade, he's got to be a shoo-in. All of that said, I like this mix of players, but you can certainly change my mind. Milwaukee Bucks - Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, Eric Bledsoe, Thon Maker The Greek Freak is the centerpiece of any squad you form out of the Bucks. With the way the court is shrunk, you can be sure Antetokounmpo will be everywhere, on both offense and defense. The challenge is finding guys to complement him. Middleton is the obvious pick, while Bledsoe versus Malcolm Brogdon is a bit of a toss-up. To round out the team, I can't help but give the nod to Maker, you know, just in case we need someone to unleash a Mortal Kombat-esque flying kick. Minnesota Timberwolves - Jimmy Butler, Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins, Jeff Teague Coach Thibodeau wouldn't reallllly consider a Butler-Taj Gibson-Derrick Rose trio right? *pause* Let's move on. New Orleans Pelicans - Jrue Holiday, Anthony Davis, Nikola Mirotic, Julius Randle This is as jumbo a line-up as you can get here, with Holiday being the only real guard, and that's what makes this Pelicans team so intriguing. New York Knicks - Kristaps Porzingis, Frank Ntilikina, Kevin Knox, Tim Hardaway Jr. The Knicks go young with Zinger, Frank and the rookie Knox. The only real question is the fourth player. You could make the case for Enes Kanter, or even the resurgent Trey Burke, but my pick here is for THJ for more perimeter scoring. Oklahoma City Thunder - Russell Westbrook, Paul George, Steven Adams, Andre Roberson When this four-some were on the court last season, the Thunder slapped opposing teams into straitjackets and tossed them away into some dark cell. If Roberson's healthy again, this group will probably do the same in 3X. Orlando Magic - Aaron Gordon, Evan Fournier, Jonathan Isaac, Mohamed Bamba It's all about the wingspan for the Magic. Philadelphia 76ers - Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, Robert Covington, Dario Saric We're going to trust the process here, and roll out the 76ers' core group. Sure you might want JJ Redick to address the lack of a true knockdown shooter, or roll the dice on the possibility of Markelle Fultz looking like a number one overall pick, but it's hard to argue with the skillset of this four. Phoenix Suns - DeAndre Ayton, Devin Booker, Josh Jackson, Trevor Ariza The first three in the desert are all young and unpolished to varying degrees. That's why we're rounding out Phoenix's squad with veteran Trevor Ariza, in order to show this group how to notch W's. Portland Trail Blazers - Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum, Jusuf Nurkic, Zach Collins Obviously you go with the Dame-CJ one-two punch. Nurkic, after signing his extension, is a lock too. The question comes with the fourth chair. Evan Turner? Seth Curry? Mo Harkless? Ultimately, my pick is second-year player Zach Collins, as the team could use his hustle, and a guy who doesn't really need a whole lot of touches. Sacramento Kings - De'Aaron Fox, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Buddy Hield, Marvin Bagley III We're going young again here, and it's hard to argue with this Kings quartet. However, don't sleep on Harry Giles, who red-shirted what would have been his rookie season last year. He is primed to break out, based on his Summer League performance. San Antonio Spurs - LaMarcus Aldridge, DeMar DeRozan, Rudy Gay, Dejounte Murray The Spurs throw out a veteran squad, with the exception of the long-armed, defensively-stout Murray. Patty Mills might be a better option if you're worried about the team's lack of shooting, and you could certainly debate slotting in Pau Gasol for Rudy Gay as well. Toronto Raptors - Kyle Lowry, Kawhi Leonard, Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby In the regular season, the Raptors thrived thanks to a deep bench, but that's not an option in 3X. Instead, we'll make defense their calling card, as highlighted by new get Kawhi Leonard. Pairing "The Klaw" with Siakam and Anunoby turns any game into a defensive slugfest, and of course, Lowry is there to run the show. Utah Jazz - Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert, Joe Ingles, Ricky Rubio You could very well make the argument that this is the second-best squad in this field. Washington Wizards - John Wall, Bradley Beal, Otto Porter, Dwight Howard Guys, when even John Oliver is making fun of Dwight Howard, you know we've all gone too far. The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA, its clubs or ABS-CBN Sports......»»

By David Aldridge, TNT Analyst Wonder what the rental market is like in San Luis Obispo, Calif. San Luis Obispo is, give or take a few miles, one of the closest cities that is near the midway point between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Given the events of the NBA’s offseason, it’s not hare to imagine national reporters are going to be spending a lot of time in California next season, bouncing back and forth between the Bay and L.A. Catch LeBron James and the Lakers on Wednesday and then, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and the Warriors on Thursday. The Western Conference only got stronger and deeper with James leaving Cleveland for a second time, this time to go to the Lakers. Add four of the top five Draft picks -- including No. 1 overall selection Deandre Ayton (Phoenix Suns), No. 2 pick Marvin Bagley III (Sacramento Kings) and international phenom Luka Doncic (No. 3 pick, acquired by Dallas Mavericks) -- going to Western Conference teams, and the talent disparity between conferences only seems greater. But did Eastern Conference teams take advantage of Cleveland deflating to make their teams better? And how effective were West teams in making their teams better prepared to at least compete with the Warriors? That’s where this year’s Offseason Rankings come in -- big, bold, definitive. You love them, if the amount of hate tweets and e-mails I get after they’re published are any indication. Every year, we rank how all 30 teams have done since the end of their respective seasons. We look at everything -- how they drafted, what trades they made, what players they signed in free agency, and for how much -- or if they didn’t participate in free agency much at all. We look at if they’ve changed coaches, executives, owners, or if they’re moving into a new building that can generate big revenues. And you have to decide which ones you liked the most. Here's what these rankings ARE NOT: A predicted order of finish for next season. It's an opinion that seeks to answer a question: is the team better now than at the end of last season? The ranking reflects the belief on whether, and how much, that is so. (I liked certain guys who were in the Draft more than others, so if your team took them, I probably weighed it more positively. Doesn't mean I'm right.) I do not expect the Suns, for example, to have a better record than the Celtics, just because they had a better summer. It is not a ranking of the teams in order from 1 through 30 right now; I do not believe the Mavericks are now a better team than Rockets. This is just one person’s opinion about offseason moves -- offseason moves only. Is your team better now than it was before? - If your team is ranked in the top 10, it doesn't mean I love your team. - If your team is ranked in the bottom 10, it doesn't mean I hate your team. It's an opinion that seeks to answer a question: is the team better now than at the end of last season? The ranking reflects the belief on whether, and how much, that is so. (I liked certain guys who were in the Draft more than others, so if your team took them, I probably weighed it more positively. Doesn't mean I'm right.) What plays into the rankings: - This isn’t science. It’s an educated guess, weighing the impact both of the Draft and free agency, but also assessing whether teams got value in their free-agent signings. Overpaying the right player is as much a sin as signing the wrong player. A good new coach can coax some more wins out of a roster. But if a team’s players don’t believe in the system their team uses, the best Xs and Os on earth don’t matter. - Teams that are rebuilding obviously have different priorities than teams making a championship push. That's factored in. So Chicago, for example, gets credit for adding young, affordable players as it stockpiles its talent -- but that talent has to fit together, as Wendell Carter Jr. does with Lauri Markannen. And a team like the Warriors that shows it’s willing to go deep into the luxury tax -- which most teams try to avoid -- in order to keep winning has to be commended, and its rankings reflect that commendation. - Continuity matters here as well. The most successful teams usually not only identify a core group of players, they keep them together for a while, finding that sweet spot: everyone doesn’t get a max contract, but most get paid well enough to keep the train moving down the tracks. That reflects both good roster construction and good financial management -- and, again, is rewarded. The explosion in the cap means everyone has to spend; keeping your powder dry for another day doesn’t have as much cache as it used to. But you still have to manage your money wisely. Salary numbers, with a couple of exceptions, come from Basketball Insiders, whose Eric Pincus does the best job of anyone in the game of keeping track of all the moving financial parts, quickly and accurately -- which is why we use him at NBA TV during the Draft and free agency to tell us what the hell this all means. The Middle 10 * * * 11. TORONTO RAPTORS 2017-18 RECORD: 59-23; lost in Eastern Conference semifinals ADDED: Coach Nick Nurse; G Danny Green (acquired from Spurs); F Kawhi Leonard (acquired from Spurs) LOST: Former coach Dwane Casey; G DeMar DeRozan (traded to Spurs); F Alfonzo McKinnie (waived); C Jakob Poeltl (traded to Spurs) RETAINED: G Fred VanVleet (two years, $18.1 million) THE KEY MAN: Nurse. The former Raps assistant has extensive G League head coaching experience. But the NBA isn’t just about a coach’s Xs and Os acumen. We know Nurse can do that. But an NBA coach has to have command presence in a locker room not only full of millionaires, but full of Alpha males who have their own very strong opinions on how they should be used and how their teammates should help them. Nurse will have to show he can put his own stamp on a team that will have some new faces while still having extremely high expectations. THE SKINNY: You may well think Toronto should be higher, based on Leonard’s standing as a top-five player in the league when fully healthy. No matter what you think of DeRozan, a four-time All-Star, no one can realistically say he’s better than “The Klaw” when both are 100 percent. But, of course, we don’t know if Leonard’s 100 percent. And, trading DeRozan, who’d been the franchise’s biggest advocate during his nine seasons there -- and who had led the team to its greatest extended run of success ever -- is not a transaction without consequence for the Raptors. He helped get the best out of Kyle Lowry. He could help recruit free agents. And, the circumstances of his departure have not helped the franchise’s reputation. Still, this is a talent-based league, and Leonard has it. His and Green’s presence on the perimeter gives Toronto the chance to be a switching defensive monster -- and will help the Raptors be able to match up better with the likes of the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers in a late-May playoff matchup, as long as the Raptors’ young core in which it believes so strongly continues to play as well in reserve as it did last season. 12. MILWAUKEE BUCKS 2017-18 RECORD: 44-38; lost in first round ADDED: Coach Mike Budenholzer; G Donte DiVincenzo (No. 17 pick, 2018 Draft); G Trevon Duval; F Ersan Ilyasova (three years, $21 million); C Brook Lopez (one year, $3.32 million); F Pat Connaughton (two years, $3.2 million); LOST: Former interim coach Joe Prunty; G Brandon Jennings (waived); F Jabari Parker (signed with Bulls) RETAINED: None THE KEY MAN: G Eric Bledsoe. His departure from Phoenix early last season was messy. But once he got to Brewtown, Bledsoe solidified the Bucks at the point, averaging 17.8 points and 5.1 assists per game in 71 starts. At 28, Bledsoe faces the last year of his contract and will have to show a new coach he’s capable of running things long-term and playing alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo through the meat of his prime. THE SKINNY: Budenholzer’s arrival should coincide with an improvement in the Bucks’ defense, something that former coach Jason Kidd could never quite accomplish. Ilaysova’s return for a second tour in Milwaukee should help, with his celebrated charge-taking skill and Lopez’s still-substantial size a double-boon to Milwaukee’s interior D as the Bucks were bottom 10 last season in points allowed in the paint (47.4 per game). If the paint becomes a little tougher to traverse, the Bucks should finally able to use their substantial length on the wing to get back to create deflections and turnovers, and get out in transition, where Antetokounmpo and Friends do their best work and their most damage to the opposition. They’ll do so 41 nights a year for the next couple of decades in the 17,500-seat Fiserv Forum, the Bucks’ new arena that will open in early September with a concert and should pump new revenues into the Bucks’ bloodstream, giving them more financial wherewithal to keep “The Greek Freak” surrounded with high-quality talent. 13. UTAH JAZZ 2017-18 RECORD: 48-34; lost in Western Conference semifinals ADDED: G Grayson Allen (No. 21 pick, 2018 Draft); G Jarius Lyles; G Naz Mitrou-Long LOST: F Jonas Jerebko (waived) RETAINED: G Dante Exum (three years, $33 million); F/C Derrick Favors (two years, $37.6 million), G Raul Neto (two years, $4.4 million); F Georges Niang (three years, $4.9 million) THE KEY MAN: C Rudy Gobert. He’s a monster presence, the hub of the Jazz’s defensive wheel and the reigning Kia Defensive Player of the Year. And he has to take a step back in Utah next season for the Jazz to take the next step forward. He has to understand what Utah has in Donovan Mitchell and let that kid eat. Nobody in the league can do what Gobert does defensively. So embrace that and concentrate on that -- take the Draymond Green attitude about being the “defensive guy” on a great team (not that Jazz fans want you to do anything that Green does). Gobert’s handsomely paid and the DPOY award found him in Salt Lake City; there’s no small-market bias at work here. So let Mitchell and Joe Ingles carry the shooting/scoring load, let Ricky Rubio orchestrate, and snuff out opponent dreams at the other end, night after night. It’s what you were born to do. THE SKINNY: My God, Mitchell had a great rookie season. And Utah brought most of the band back from last season to provide advice and consent for him again, re-signing Favors, Exum and Neto each on very reasonable contracts. Doing so leaves Utah over the cap, still comfortably under the tax, and with nothing on the books that should raise an eyebrow financially. (Utah’s front office should handle my checking account for a while.) Anyway, no reason to expect any backsliding next season with the crew returning, though coach Quin Snyder will surely miss the counsel of his longtime friend Igor Kokoskov, off to run the Suns. 14. ATLANTA HAWKS 2017-18 RECORD: 24-58; missed playoffs ADDED: Coach Lloyd Pierce; F Justin Anderson (acquired from 76ers); G Kevin Huerter (No. 19 pick, 2018 Draft); C Alex Len (two years, $8.5 million); G Jeremy Lin (acquired from Nets); F Omari Spellman (No. 30 pick, 2018 Draft); G Trae Young (No. 5 pick, 2018 Draft) LOST: Former coach Mike Budenholzer; G Antonius Cleveland (waived); G Damion Lee (signed with Warriors); F/C Mike Muscala (traded to 76ers); G Dennis Schröder (traded to Thunder); G Isaiah Taylor (waived) RETAINED: C Dewayne Dedmon (picked up player option) THE KEY MAN: GM Travis Schlenk. The second-year executive will be judged on how well Atlanta uses its trove of Draft picks -- three firsts this year, three firsts next year, two firsts in 2022 -- the next few years. And, ultimately, the Hawks will live or die by whether Young or Luka Doncic becomes the bigger NBA producer. Schlenk’s chances of completing the rebuild may well ride on that. THE SKINNY: The Hawks’ roster teardown is nearing completion, but the renovated Philips Arena will come online faster than the team, which now needs Young to live up to all the hype after his one season at Oklahoma. He has incredible range and great potential, but he’ll be challenged every night to stay in front of the legion of great points in this league. Pierce, the former Sixers’ assistant, is going to have a very tough time melding all the newcomers with the small core of players who survived, including John Collins, Kent Bazemore, DeAndre' Bembry and Taurean Prince. 15. LA CLIPPERS 2017-18 RECORD: 42-40; missed playoffs ADDED: C Marcin Gortat (acquired from Wizards); G Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (No. 11 pick, 2018 Draft); F Johnathan Motley (acquired from Mavericks); F Mike Scott (one year, $4.3 million); F Luc Mbah a Moute (one year, $4.3 million), G Jerome Robinson (No. 13 pick, 2018 Draft) LOST: G Austin Rivers (traded to Wizards); C DeAndre Jordan (signed with Mavs); G C.J. Williams (waived) RETAINED: G Avery Bradley (two years, $24.9 million); C Montrezl Harrell (two years, $12 million); G Wesley Johnson (picked up player option); G Milos Teodosic (picked up player option) THE KEY MAN: F Tobias Harris. He was the key tangible piece of the Blake Griffin trade last season (the intangible being the unprotected first from Detroit in the deal that eventually became Gilgeous-Alexander after a Draft night trade with Charlotte). And Harris played quite well in his 32 games with the Clips, averaging 19.3 points and six rebounds per game. Those numbers could each well go up in a contract year and with few others outside of Lou Williams on the roster that can go get their own buckets. THE SKINNY: Amazing, but true: the Clipper player with the longest current tenure is … Wesley Johnson, who came aboard in 2015. “Lob City” is in the history books and change will be the norm here for a while, including next summer, when the Clippers expect to be a free-agent destination. The Clips did what they could with that not-insignificant restriction, but the best stuff was in the Draft, winding up with a potential long-term point in Gilgeous-Alexander and a two in Robinson that rocketed up the pre-Draft charts. Bradley’s on a very team-friendly and controllable contract, as is Patrick Beverley, whose modest 2018-19 salary isn’t guaranteed until January. Those two and Mbah a Moute can give coach Doc Rivers hope that he can get some stops on the perimeter, because while Gortat is still willing defensively and still takes a bunch of charges, he is not Jordan when it comes to rim protection. 16. BROOKLYN NETS 2017-18 RECORD: 28-54; missed playoffs ADDED: F/C Ed Davis (one year, $4.4 million); F Jared Dudley (acquired from Suns); F Kenneth Faried (acquired from Nuggets); G/F Treveon Graham (two years); F Rodions Kurucs (No. 40, 2018 Draft); F Dzanan Musa (No. 29 pick, 2018 Draft); G Shabazz Napier (two years, $3.7 million) LOST: F Darrell Arthur (traded to Suns); F Dante Cunningham (signed with Spurs); C Dwight Howard (waived); G Jeremy Lin (traded to Hawks); C Timofey Mozgov (traded to Hornets); G Nik Stauskas (signed with Blazers); G Isaiah Whitehead (traded to Nuggets) RETAINED: G Joe Harris (two years, $16 million) THE KEY MAN: Co-owner Joseph Tsai. The Alibaba executive and billionaire has 49 percent of the team, and can buy majority control from Mikhail Prokhorov by 2021. Until then, they’ll run the team jointly, so no matter Prokhorov’s ups and downs, Brooklyn’s financial spigot should never run dry. Tsai reportedly has designs on expanding the Nets’ brand further in China, just as Prokhorov believed the Nets had global reach. They didn’t, at least not the post-KG and Pierce squads. THE SKINNY: If you love Ed Davis like smart people who know basketball do, Brooklyn makes the top half by bringing the ex-Blazer in on a short deal. If he plays great, he’ll cost the Nets a pretty penny in 2019, but Brooklyn has to take chances on guys who can outperform their contracts. The only thing the Nets couldn’t do was take on more ’19 salary when they’ll be in line to potentially add two max players. Won’t be easy to lure the elites, but Brooklyn also has accumulated enough assets to be able to make uneven trades for salaries if need be. In the interim comes next season, with coach Kenny Atkinson needing to continue to develop diamonds in the rough like Graham, who Cleveland wanted and who will help the Nets at multiple positions. 17. CHICAGO BULLS 2017-18 RECORD: 27-55; missed playoffs ADDED: G Antonius Cleveland; C Wendell Carter Jr. (No. 7 pick, 2018 Draft); F Chandler Hutchison (No. 22 pick, 2018 Draft); F Jabari Parker (two years, $40 million) LOST: F Jerian Grant (traded to Magic); G Sean Kilpatrick (waived); G Julyan Stone (waived); F Noah Vonleh (signed with Knicks); G Paul Zipser (waived) RETAINED: G Antonio Blakeney; G Zach LaVine (matched four year, $78 million offers sheet from Kings) THE KEY MAN: G Kris Dunn. As the 24-year-old will be every season he’s in Chicago. The Jimmy Butler trade in 2017 yielded the pick that became Lauri Markannen, and he’s also a key piece to the Bulls’ future. But Chicago won’t ever get elevation again if Dunn doesn’t become an elite point guard in a league full of them. He showed signs last season that he could be just that, most notably a December in which Dunn averaged 14.9 points and eight assists, and the Bulls went 10-6. But a concussion in January derailed Dunn’s progress and his production fell sharply the rest of the season. THE SKINNY: Can Parker play the three, as the Bulls insist he can? There isn’t a ton of evidence suggesting so, and Parker’s hypothesis that he isn’t getting paid to play defense does not provide much comfort. But the Bulls will try him there alongside Markannen and rookie Carter Jr. in what would be a huge frontcourt. Almost $20 million annually for LaVine going forward is also a stretch, but less of one if LaVine comes all the way back from his 2017 ACL tear with a full training camp and season. Carter may be more important to the Bulls’ hoped-for resurgence than Parker and LaVine; the Duke big man has that much potential. 18. WASHINGTON WIZARDS 2017-18 RECORD: 43-39; lost in first round ADDED: C Thomas Bryant; G Troy Brown (No. 15 pick, 2018 Draft); F Jeff Green (one year, $2.5 million); C Dwight Howard (two years, $11 million); G Austin Rivers (acquired from Clippers); G Issuf Sanon (No. 44 pick, 2018 Draft) LOST: C Marcin Gortat (traded to Clippers); F Mike Scott (signed with Clippers) RETAINED: G Jodie Meeks (picked up player option); C Jason Smith (picked up player option) THE KEY MAN: Coach Scott Brooks. Entering his third season in Washington, Brooks keeps saying he wants the Wizards to defend and play fast. But he has to follow that up with action, especially when and if John Wall doesn’t provide the on-ball defense Washington needs to have any chance to unleash a still-potent fast break. Wall is 27 and, if healthy, in his prime. The team takes almost all of its cues from him; when he’s locked in, the Wizards can compete with anyone. But when he’s indifferent, so are they -- as evidenced by their horrible record against bad teams. Brooks has to demand Wall’s best, or be ready to limit his minutes. THE SKINNY: NBA protocol almost demands you hate the pickup of Howard, such is his current perceived valued among many after multiple stops the last few seasons. The guess here is that Howard won’t hijack the Wizards’ locker room, as he had been accused of while in with the Houston Rockets and Charlotte Hornets, especially. Howard’s skill set can help Washington, which fell off defensively last season. But there’s also not much sense he’ll be a significant pick-me-up in D.C., either. He can’t stretch the floor and he’s not especially potent finishing in pick and roll, either. But the Wizards should at least be deeper off the bench with Green, who played well for the Cavs last season, and Rivers, who gives Washington legit guard depth along with Tomas Satoransky. 19. SACRAMENTO KINGS 2017-18 RECORD: 27-55; missed playoffs ADDED: F Nemanja Bjelica (three years, $20.4 million); C Marvin Bagley III (No. 2 pick, 2018 Draft); G Yogi Ferrell (two years, $4.1 million); G Ben McLemore (acquired from Kings); F Deyonta Davis (acquired from Grizzlies) LOST: G Garrett Temple (traded to Grizzlies) RETAINED: G Iman Shumpert (picked up player option); C Kosta Koufos (picked up player option) THE KEY MAN: F Harry Giles. The Kings traded for the one-and-done forward on Draft night 2017 and redshirted him, feeling he needed a year to fully recover from the multiple knee surgeries he’d undergone the last three years. Those surgeries stopped his top-five Draft potential in its tracks, before and after a year at Duke. But Giles is back on the floor, having flashed his skills during NBA Summer League, as Sacramento gushed about his progress. If the 20-year-old is ready to roll come October, he could be an enormous boost. He’ll have to at least become a contributor, lest folks remind the Kings they passed on the likes of Kyle Kuzma and O.G Anunoby to trade for his rights. THE SKINNY: Bagley III has superstar potential, and he better become one, or the Doncic Stans among the Kings’ fan base will have aneurysms. The Kings were all over everyone, seemingly, this summer, dropping sheets on Zach LaVine, almost doing the same with Marcus Smart and Jabari Parker, and going after unrestricted free agent Mario Hezonja. All well and good, and getting Bjelica out from under Philly and prying Ferrell from Dallas were decent late July pickups. But it will be Bagley III who’ll be under the microscope. His skill sets are prodigious and he’s been working out feverishly all summer. And he wants to make a mark in restoring the Kings to where they were on the floor during the Webber Years. He worked out for them. He’s enthusiastic about them. That counts for something. 20. HOUSTON ROCKETS 2017-18 RECORD: 65-17; lost in Western Conference finals ADDED: G Michael Carter-Williams (one year, $1.5 million); G De'Anthony Melton (No. 46 pick, 2018 Draft); F Vincent Edwards (No. 52 pick, 2018 Draft) LOST: F Trevor Ariza (signed with Suns); Luc Mbah a Moute (signed with LA Clippers); C Chinanu Onuaku (traded to Mavs) RETAINED: C Clint Capela (five years, $90 million); G/F Gerald Green (one year, $2.3 million); G Aaron Jackson (picked up team option); G Chris Paul (four years, $159 million) THE KEY MAN: Jason Biles, Joe Rogowski, Keith Jones and Javair Gillett -- the Rockets’ athletic trainers, sports performance and rehab staff. Their only mission next season, should they decide to accept it, is to get Paul through an 82-game regular season and a two-month playoff slog without breaking or pulling anything of importance that keeps him out of key games. Of course, should any of the staff be unsuccessful, the Morey will disavow any knowledge of their employment. Good luck, men. THE SKINNY: We have not yet included Carmelo Anthony, who will be signing in Houston any minute now. When he’s officially on the roster, he’ll certainly help, and we all saw that even Houston can go through extended scoring droughts in the playoffs. Having Anthony around should alleviate that. The Rockets may have had the best signing of the summer, keeping the 24-year-old Capela locked up long-term for $18 million per -- incredible value these days, given the way salaries are skyrocketing. But that was mitigated by the losses of Ariza and Mbah a Moute, who were crucial to the switching defense Houston employed and perfected by the playoffs, which threw sand in the gears of the Warriors’ impenetrable offense and would likely have propelled the Rockets to The Finals if Paul hadn’t gotten hurt in Game 5. Ennis and Carter-Williams will help some in that regard, but they don’t have the resume of Mbah a Moute and Ariza -- which means they sometimes won’t get the benefit of the doubt from refs that the old heads do. Houston’s still the clear number two to Golden State in the West, but the gap between the Rockets and the best of the rest has closed. Longtime NBA reporter, columnist and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer David Aldridge is an analyst for TNT. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on Twitter. The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA, its clubs or Turner Broadcasting......»»

By Khari Arnold, NBA.com Just when mock drafts were beginning to list the San Antonio Spurs as a certified lottery team -- something that hasn’t happened in over two decades -- a vigorous December stretch has Gregg Popovich’s squad clicking and back among the top eight in the Western Conference standings. The Spurs struggled severely in November, pairing their below-average offense with the NBA’s worst defense. They finished the month with a 5-10 record and sat 10-12 overall, just in front of the lowly Phoenix Suns. Injuries began to pile up, LaMarcus Aldridge struggled shooting and their ability to win on the road was nonexistent. While the latter issue still hasn’t been fixed, a shift occurred for the Spurs in December. San Antonio finished No. 1 in offensive efficiency during the last month of 2018 and ranked among the top 10 in defensive efficiency. Seeming to have found their rhythm, the Spurs shot a league-high 51.2 percent from the floor in December, boasted the NBA’s best Net Rating and closed the year out winning 10 of their last 13 games. Talk about ending a year on the right track. Here’s a look at the best records, offenses and defenses based on numbers from Dec. 1 to Dec. 31 (Dec. 2-Jan. 1, 2019, PHL time) only. Five best records Indiana Pacers: 12-3 Houston Rockets: 11-4 Milwaukee Bucks: 10-4 San Antonio Spurs: 11-5 Golden State Warriors: 10-5 The Pacers have quietly climbed to third in the Eastern Conference standings, holding the same amount of wins as the first-place Bucks. Five worst records New York Knicks: 2-12 Cleveland Cavaliers: 4-12 Detroit Pistons: 4-11 Phoenix Suns: 5-11 Memphis Grizzlies: 5-10 The sweepstakes for Zion Williamson, who played at Madison Square Garden in December, roll on. Top five offenses (Points scored per 100 possessions) San Antonio Spurs: 116.6 Boston Celtics: 115.5 Houston Rockets: 113.4 New Orleans Pelicans: 112.2 Minnesota Timberwolves: 111.6 While the Spurs are rolling, the hottest team in Texas -- and the NBA for that matter -- is Houston. James Harden is carrying the Rockets offense without Chris Paul at a historic pace. Bottom five offenses Chicago Bulls: 98.7 Orlando Magic: 101.7 Detroit Pistons: 102.4 Memphis Grizzlies 102.7 New York Knicks: 104.6 Dwane Casey's first year in Detroit hasn't gone according to plan -- yet at least. His offense committed the second-most turnovers per game in December. Top five defenses (Points allowed per 100 possessions) Indiana Pacers: 99.6 Utah Jazz: 100.5 Oklahoma City Thunder: 101.7 Milwaukee Bucks: 102.1 Miami Heat: 104.1 The Lakers, who had a top-three Defensive Rating in November, fell out of the top 10. Bottom five defenses Cleveland Cavaliers: 116.9 New York Knicks: 115.9 LA Clippers: 114.3 Atlanta Hawks: 112.6 Phoenix Suns: 112.4 The Clippers' defense is tumbling despite being in the playoff hunt. Top 10 individual scorers (Points per game) James Harden: 36.4 Paul George: 30.8 Anthony Davis: 29.6 Kawhi Leonard: 29.1 Stephen Curry: 28.1 Damian Lillard: 27.1 Bradley Beal: 26.5 Devin Booker: 26.2 Kevin Durant: 26.1 LeBron James: 25.8.....»»

By Drew Packham, NBA.com It’s been two weeks since I checked in on this entertaining rookie class, and I appreciate the readers who took the time to point out my absence last week. Let’s me know someone’s paying attention, I guess. (My bad. I was off getting married and honeymooning.) And while I was making major life decisions and fracturing a rib trying to surf in Sayulita, Mexico, I was also keeping a watch on the rookies making moves in their new lives in the NBA. And things are not getting any easier when it comes to ranking these guys. Unlike my “Ultimate Wedding Dance Party” playlist I curated on Spotify (which was incredible, by the way, thanks in large part to this song), there’s no simple shuffle button I can hit each week. I feel like I say this every week, but we’re truly lucky with this rookie class. There is so much talent, variety and skill among the class, with so many rookies doing so many things well, that my job of judging them against each other is becoming increasingly difficult. Looking back to two weeks ago, for example, I’m surprised to remember that Deandre Ayton was on the fourth rung. Sure, Wendell Carter and Trae Young had had some big performances (and the Ladder does have a built-in recency bias), but Ayton has since bounced back and put together enough solid games to make a serious run at No. 1. Luka Doncic holds on to the top spot for now, but unlike saying “I do” to my wife or choosing “Ooh La La” by Faces for our first dance, it wasn’t an easy decision. * * * 1. Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks Last edition: No. 1 Doncic almost lost his grip on this spot due to some spotty shooting, but the fact that the Mavericks have won six of their last eight -- including wins over the Golden State Warriors, Oklahoma City and Utah Jazz -- bolstered his case. He’s had at least nine rebounds in each of his last three games and continues to come up with big plays down the stretch of these wins. The Mavs trust him, and it’s easy to see why. He continues to lead rookies in scoring (19.3 ppg), is third in rebounding (6.9) and second in assists (4.1). Ayton is gaining ground on him, and the gap is narrowing with every dominant double-double from the Suns’ big man. 2. Deandre Ayton, Phoenix Suns Last edition: No. 4 Ayton climbs two rungs after two weeks of solid play. The more opportunities I have to watch Ayton, the more I leave impressed and certain he’ll be a star in this league for many years. He’s still struggling to defend like you’d hope from a seven-footer (just three blocks in last eight games), but the offensive numbers back him as a force inside. Over his last seven games, Ayton is averaging 17.3 ppg and 9.9 rpg while shooting 64 percent. 3. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, LA Clippers Last edition: Not ranked It’s looking like the Clippers might have found their answer at point guard. Taken with the 11th pick, Gilgeous-Alexander has stepped up and seems to have locked down the starting point guard job. At 6'6", he has the size to defend and has shown the ability to navigate the pick-and-roll, hitting 50 percent of his mid-range jumpers to date. Over his last seven games, he’s averaged 14.1 points on 50 percent shooting as the Clippers had won five straight before Tuesday’s (Wednesday, PHL time) 125-118 loss to the Washington Wizards. Gilgeous-Alexander's season numbers aren’t eye-popping (10.5 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 2.8 apg), but he’s carrying himself and leading the Clippers like a veteran. 4. Jaren Jackson Jr., Memphis Grizzlies Last edition: Just missed cut Jackson makes a jump this week thanks to one of the young big man’s best games as well as because of the subpar play from Young and Carter. In a 112-104 win over the Kings last week, Jackson scored 27 points with six rebounds, four steals and a pair of blocks. He made 11-of-16 shots and was a force the Kings couldn’t solve. Before Jackson scored nine points in just 12 minutes of Wednesday’s (Thursday, PHL time) win over the Spurs, he’d scored in double-digits in eight of his last 10 games. The Grizzlies are a surprise atop the Western Conference standings, and their young big man is a big reason for that. 5. Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks Last edition: No. 3 Young is in a serious funk right now. He’s scored in double-digits just once in his past five games, hitting just 27 percent of his shots and five percent -- yes, five -- of his three's (1-for-20). The talent is clearly there, as his lone breakout game in that span was an impressive 25-point, 17-assist performance in a 127-119 loss to the Clippers. Young became the first rookie since Allen Iverson to record at least 25 and 15 in a game, and the 17 assists are the most by any player this season. Although his averages place him among the rookie leaders, more weeks of poor shooting like this one won’t help him fend off more consistent rookies. Just missed the cut: Wendell Carter Jr., Chicago Bulls Carter slides out of the Top 5, but he’s still putting up decent numbers for the struggling Bulls. He ranks second in both rebounds (7.4) and blocks (1.9) per game, but his field-goal percentage is low for a big man (46.5 percent). Collin Sexton, Cleveland Cavaliers Sexton has been one of the leading rookie scorers over the past two weeks, with 17.6 ppg over his last seven games (second among rookies in that span). He’s doing it by shooting 46.2 percent overall and 60 percent on 3-pointers. Marvin Bagley III, Sacramento Kings Bagley had 15 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks in the Kings’ 117-113 win over the Thunder. It was Bagley’s first career double-double and he’s scored in double-digits in his last three games. Aaron Holiday, Indiana Pacers With Victor Oladipo nursing a sore right knee, Holiday has stepped in admirably and deserves some credit for his recent play. In his last three games, he's averaged 14 ppg and 5.3 rpg in 20.1 minutes per game. Hamidou Diallo, Oklahoma City Thunder Diallo gets an honorary spot this week after suffering a gruesome looking (but not serious) leg injury in Wednesday night’s (Thursday, PHL time) rout of the Warriors. There's no word on if he'll miss time, though. Diallo had become a fixture in the rotation, starting in OKC's previous two games. In Monday’s (Tuesday, PHL time) win over Sacramento, he scored 18 points, becoming the first Thunder rookie to go at least 7-for-7 from the field. * * * (All stats through Wednesday, Nov. 21) Send any questions or comments to my email or find me on Twitter @drewpackham. The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA, its clubs or Turner Broadcasting......»»

By Steve Aschburner, NBA.com Bob Lanier turned 70 Monday, a big number for a big man. In fact, that number can be linked to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer in several ways. It was in 1970 that Lanier was the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft, selected out of St. Bonaventure by the Detroit Pistons. And it was the 70s as the decade in which Lanier excelled, earning seven of his eight All-Star appearances while averaging 22.7 points and 11.8 rebounds for the Pistons. Dinosaurs ruled the NBA landscape back then, with Lanier achieving his success against the likes of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Walton, Dave Cowens, Willis Reed, Nate Thurmond, Elvin Hayes, Artis Gilmore and other legendary big men. Yet it was Lanier who was the MVP of the 1974 All-Star Game, who won the one-off, 32-contestant 1-on-1 championship tournament run by ABC in 1973 as part of its national broadcast schedule and who (with Walton) got name-dropped by Abdul-Jabbar in the 1980 Hollywood comedy “Airplane!” [“I'm out there busting my buns every night!” he tells a kid as “co-pilot Roger Murdock.” “Tell your old man to drag Walton and Lanier up and down the court for 48 minutes!”] Lanier’s Detroit teams never got beyond the conference semifinals, though, so in 1979-80 he asked to be traded. In February 1980, the Pistons dealt him to Milwaukee for Kent Benson and a future draft pick. With the Bucks, who averaged 59 victories in Lanier’s four full seasons there, Lanier flirted with his greatest team success, yet never reached The Finals. He was 36 when bad knees and other injuries forced him to retire. Those knees still are trouble, preventing Lanier from attending this year’s Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony -- he was elected in 1992 -- and limiting his ability to travel from his home in Arizona to catch his daughter Khalia’s volleyball games at USC. But the man nicknamed “The Dobber” was as chatty and opinionated as ever in a phone conversation last week with NBA.com: NBA.com: The league still keeps you busy, doesn’t it? Bob Lanier: Well, it did. But about 15 months ago, I had knee replacement surgery on my right leg and that is not going very well. It still aches and it gets me unbalanced. That’s what I was trying to get away from. The surgeon said mine was the most difficult one he’d ever done. I was supposed to get the left one done but I couldn’t, because the right one was bothering me so much. I can’t even stand to hit a golf ball. NBA.com: You were part of the original Stay In School initiative, if I recall correctly. BL: I was involved with a little bit of everything from the time David [Stern, longtime NBA commissioner] first called me in 1988. It started off with wanting me to do something for kids who stayed in school. We did “P-R-I-D-E,” with P for positive mental attitude, R for respect, I for intelligent choice-making, D for dreaming and setting goals, and E for effort and education. It was really amazing. The first year, we were talking about giving out 25,000 Starter jackets for kids who came to the rally. Shoot, we needed double that amount, the numbers we got. Everything is kind of under the same umbrella now with NBA Cares. Kathy Behrens [president, social responsibility and player programs] has done a wonderful job of taking this to a whole ‘nother level, her and Adam [Silver, NBA commissioner]. NBA.com: Have you ever had one of those kids whose lives you touched reach out to you years later? BL: [Laughs]. You know what, I’m laughing because you don’t expect to hear from anybody. The only time that somebody really validated something we were doing was when I wrote those books. (The “Hey, Li’l D!” series of kids books, loosely based on Lanier’s childhood adventures. Co-authored with Heather Goodyear in 2003, the Scholastic Paperbacks books still are available.) I was on a plane and one of the passengers asked me to sign the book for her, for her child. I was so taken aback by that, I was shaking while I was signing the autograph. That was really good -- I thought, maybe I did something right. NBA.com: But none of the Stay In School kids? BL: Look, in our business, in community relations and social responsibility areas, you don’t really … when you’re building houses for people, the folks who work with you side by side give you a thumbs up and say thank you before it’s over. When we do the playgrounds, we use kids in the neighborhood who are going to enjoy playing in it and having dreams -- they’re thankful. But there’s so much need out here. When you’re traveling around to different cities and different countries, you see there are so many people in dire straits that the NBA can only do so much. We make a vast, vast difference, but there’s always so much more to do. NBA.com: I know you’re not in it for the thank yous. BL: No. The only thing that stands out to me is from when I was still playing in Milwaukee and I was getting gas at a station on, I think it was Center St. A guy came up to me and said, “My dad is sick. And you’re his favorite player. Could you come up to the house and say hello to him? The house is right next door.” So I went over, I went upstairs. The guy was laying there in his bed. His son said, “This is Bob,” and he was like, “I know.” And he just had a little smile, a twinkle in his eye. And he grabbed my hand and squeezed it. And we said a little prayer. About two weeks later, his dad had died. And he left a card at the Bucks office, just saying “Thank you for making one of my dad’s final days into a good day.” NBA.com: It probably wasn’t, and isn’t, uncommon for you to be spotted out in public like that. At your size (6-foot-11, 250 pounds as a player). BL: As time passes on, people know you at first because you’re a player. Then you stop playing. And 10 years after, when a player like Shaquille O’Neal comes along, they know him and figure you must be Shaq’s dad. “You’re wearing them big shoes.” I just go along with it. “Yeah, I’m Shaq’s dad!” NBA.com: That has to sting, seeing as how Shaq took your title for the NBA’s biggest sneakers. You were famous for your size-22s. BL: Yeah, he sent me a pair one time and I think they were 23s. For some reason, I recall he would wear 23s and three pairs of socks or something instead of the 22s. NBA.com: Isn’t it sobering how quickly sports fans forget even distinctive-looking players such as yourself? BL: Absolutely correct. But that’s why we in the NBA and at the players association have to do a better job of passing down the history of our game. In a way that they’ll absorb it. Not necessarily that they’ll have to read it – it could be in a video game form, because that seems to hold interest a lot. NBA.com: You have been as busy in your post-playing career for the NBA as you ever were while playing, right? BL: I’ve really been blessed. You know this story: I started serving people with my mother [Nattie Mae] at church. Getting food to people who were sick or needy, taking it to the hospital, taking it to people’s houses or feeding them right after church. My mother was a Seventh Day Adventist and she was in the church all the time. She had me and my sister and a bunch of kids, we would all be there every Saturday. You start off doing it not only because your mother tells you to, but the food was good. Then David asked me to come help with the Stay In School, which was the start of it all. If I hadn’t graduated from college, I probably would never have gotten an opportunity to do that with the NBA. Plus, the amazing number of young people I’ve met around the country, around the world, that I think I’ve touched … some lives. I can’t say I touched everybody, but some. I always had a knack of selecting -- when I’d call up kids to help me with the presentation -- a girl or a boy who needed it. It’s amazing how many times a teacher has said to me, “You picked Joe” or “You picked Dorothy, and that’s a really difficult kid. You made them feel good.” You never let a kid fail. NBA.com: You never were a shy and retiring type. What do you think of the NBA these days? BL: I’ll tell you what, I wish that I were playing now. It’s not as physical a sport. You can do stuff anywhere in the world. You can make tons of money off the court -- I can’t imagine how much I’d make with a speaker deal and those big-ass sneakers of mine. The only thing I would not like about this era is that you’ve got to be so conscious of social media. And people taking photos of you when you don’t know they’re taking them. And having those things that zoom over your home and take pictures of your house. That part I wouldn’t like at all. NBA.com: It’s hard enough to avoid the public eye at your size. By the way, are you as tall as you used to be? BL: No, no. I remember standing next to Magic [Johnson] last year at some function we had, and I was looking at him eye-to-eye. I said, “Damn, I thought I was 6-11 and you were 6-9. You look like you’re taller than me now.” NBA.com: You might have fared well today, with the range you had on your jump shot. A big man like you or Bob McAdoo would fit right in. BL: But Mac was a true forward and I was a true center. With the game the way it is now, I think guys like he or I -- Dave Cowens, too -- could shoot from outside, inside, open up the lanes, make good passes. I say that gingerly with Mac, because every time it touched his hands it was going up. He’s my boy but that’s the truth. NBA.com: Wayne Embry, the NBA lifer as a player and executive, recently said to me about the current style of play, “C’mon, the big man likes to play too.” The game has gotten so much smaller. BL: I kind of like this game a little bit. If you’re a big who has skills, it helps to stretch the floor. You can always post up, if you’ve got a big can post up. But now you’ve got these bigs who are elongated forwards. Boogie Cousins is probably our last post-up big that I’m aware of. I think I just saw him on TV somewhere making about 10 3-pointers in a row. NBA.com: Any team or individuals to whom you pay particular attention? BL: I like watching ‘Bron [LeBron James], obviously. I like this Golden State team, too, because they play so well together. I like the kid [Anthony] Davis. With Boogie, my concern is whether he’ll be healthy this season. NBA.com: What’s your take on the “super team” approach of the past few years? BL: I think both of ‘em have their sides. Back in the day, we would never do that. There wasn’t a lot of huggin’ and kissin’, all that stuff, when you were competing. You were out there to kick each other’s butt. But with AAU ball, it’s become guys playing together on these premier teams at all these tournaments around the country. So they get to know each before they ever go to college. NBA.com: Do you think today’s players appreciate the work you and other alumni did to build the league? BL: I think everything evolves. The best thing I could say as a player is, you want to leave the game in better shape than when you came into it. You want to leave a legacy, a better brand. You want players to be making more money. You want the league to be stronger. And since we’re partner in this, it’s important that those kinds of things happen. NBA.com: The 1970s seems to be pretty neglected, as far as NBA memories and highlights. At times it’s as if the league went from Bill Russell’s Boston Celtics dynasty to Magic Johnson and Larry Bird carrying the NBA into the 80s. The league had some popularity and PR issues back then, but eight different franchises won championships that decade. BL: Back in the 70s, a lot of people were feeling that the NBA was drug-infested. Too black. That’s one of the reasons the league came up with its substance abuse program, one of the first in sports to do that. The point was not to punish guys but to help guys who needed it to get clean. As that passed, then Larry and Magic came in. The media money started going up, and then Michael [Jordan] came in in ’84 and everything took off from there. So I can see how you could kind of forget about the 70s. NBA.com: And yet now folks complain that each season starts with only three or four teams seen as capable of winning the title. Why was it different then? BL: I think everybody competed a lot. And guys didn’t change teams as much, so when you were facing the Bulls or the Bucks or New York, you had all these rivalries. Lanier against Jabbar! Jabbar against Willis Reed! And then [Wilt] Chamberlain, and Artis Gilmore, and Bill Walton! You had all these great big men and the game was played from inside out. It was a rougher game, a much more physical game that we played in the 70s. You could steer people with elbows. They started cutting down on the number of fights by fining people more. Oh, it was a rough ‘n’ tumble game. NBA.com: There were, of course, fewer teams. Seventeen when you arrived, for instance. BL: There was so much talent on every team. Every night you were playing against somebody really damn good, and if you didn’t come to play, they’d whip your behind. NBA.com: You know, I’m surprised I never heard about you being the target of a bidding war with the old ABA? Did they ever come after you? BL: Got approached at the end of my junior year at St. Bonaventure. They offered me a nice contract. But I wanted to stay in school because I thought we had a real chance at winning the NCAA title. NBA.com: Gee, that almost sounds quaint by today’s get-the-money standards. BL: Yeah. Well, I trusted them as a league -- it was the New York Nets, a guy named Roy Boe -- but I knew we had a really good team. And we did. We got to the Final Four. Then I got hurt. NBA.com: You went down against Villanova, your tournament ended by a torn ligament. I’m surprised, looking back, you were considered healthy enough to get drafted No. 1 and have a pretty strong rookie season. BL: I wasn’t healthy when I got to the league. I shouldn’t have played my first year. But there was so much pressure from them to play, I would have been much better off -- and our team would have been much better served -- if I had just sat out that year and worked on my knee. NBA.com: From the Final Four to the start of the NBA season isn’t much time to rehab a knee injury. Then you played 82 games, averaging 15.6 points and 8.1 rebounds in 24.6 minutes. BL: That was stupid. My knee was so sore every single day that it was ludicrous to be doing what I was doing. I wanted to play, but I was smart and the team was smart, everybody would have benefited. NBA.com: Did you ever fully recover? I know your later years were hampered by knee pain. BL: Oh, I fully recovered. Going into my third year, I think I had my legs underneath me a lot. NBA.com: Your coach as a rookie was Butch van Breda Kolff, who had butted heads with Wilt Chamberlain in Los Angeles. Did you have any issues with him? BL: He was a pretty tough coach, but he was a good-hearted person. As a matter of fact, he had a place down on the Jersey shore where he invited me to come and run on the beach to help strengthen my leg. I went there for about 2 1/2 weeks. I liked Butch a lot. NBA.com: Your Detroit teams had you as an All-Star nearly every season and of course Hall of Fame guard Dave Bing. Did you think you’d achieve more? BL: I think ’73-74 was our best team [52-30]. We had Dave, Stu Lantz, John Mengelt, Chris Ford, Don Adams, Curtis Rowe, George Trapp. But then for some reason, they traded six guys off that team before the following year. I just didn’t feel we ever had the leadership. I think we had [seven] head coaches in my 10 years there. That was a rough time, because at the end of every year, you’d be so despondent. NBA.com: So by the time you were traded to Milwaukee, you were ready to go? BL: I wanted the trade. But until you start getting on that plane and leaving your family and start crying, you don’t realize it’s a part of your life you’re leaving. I got to Milwaukee and it was freezing outside. But the people gave me a standing ovation and really made me feel welcome. It was the start of a positive change. I just wish I had played with that kind of talent around me when I was young. The only time I thought I had it was that ’73-74 team they messed up. But if I had had Marques [Johnson] and Sidney [Moncrief] and all of them around me? Damn. NBA.com: I got my start around those Bucks teams, and feel I often have to remind people how good they were deep into the ‘80s. You just couldn’t get past the Celtics and the Sixers in the same year, in a loaded Eastern Conference. BL: They were always a man better than us. We had to play our best to beat them and they didn’t have to play their best to beat us. It haunts me to this day. NBA.com: How did you like playing for Bucks coach Don Nelson? BL: Loved him. It was just like playing for your big brother. He was a player’s coach, for sure. He’d been through it, won championships. Knew what it was like to be a role player, knew what it took to be a prime-time player. Didn’t get upset over pressure. He was just a stand-up guy. NBA.com: As we talk, I’m looking at my office wall and I have that famous All-Star poster from 1977, painted by Leroy Neiman. That game was notable, too, because it was the first one after the NBA/ABA merger. So you had Julius Erving, George Gervin, Dan Issel and those other ABA stars flooding their talent into the league. BL: You know what? I think you could put 10 players from the 70s into the league today and be as competitive as anybody. Think of the guys who could really play and were athletic. And with the rule changes, that would make us even more effective. “Ice’ [Gervin]. Julius. David Thompson, a huge athlete. I don’t know who could mess with Kareem at all. NBA.com: What about Nate Archibald? BL: You took the words right out of my mouth. Tiny! He could scoot up and down and do what he needed to do. These guys knew the game, they played the basics of it so well. NBA.com: No one disputes the advances in training, nutrition, travel and rest. But in raw ability, you think it was close to today? BL: One thing I will say about this group of young men, they seem to be more athletic than we were. They seem to be able to cover so much more ground. Whatever that new step is, the Eurostep? And another thing they do differently know is, they brush-pick. They brush and then they pop. You rarely see a guy do a solid pick and then roll with the guy on his back to cause a mismatch. Everybody’s looking to open the floor to shoot 3’s. This has become the weapon of choice now. NBA.com: No rings for that Milwaukee team from which you retired has meant, so far, no Hall of Fame for Marques Johnson or Sidney Moncrief, the two stars. BL: That’s what rings hollow in your ears. You hear people saying, “Where’s the ring? The ring!” And we don’t have any rings. That’s what we play for. NBA.com: Didn’t stop your enshrinement though. BL: They must have been blind, crippled and crazy, huh? It’s a short crop of brotherhood that gets in there. I just wish there was more time on those weekends where we could spend time just talking with one another. You rarely see each other, and it would be nice to have a quiet room where you could just re-hash old times and plays, and maybe have your family so your grandkids could listen to Earl the Pearl tell about this or [Bill] Walton tell about that. Just rehashing stuff that brought people a lot of joy. Steve Aschburner has written about the NBA since 1980. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on Twitter. The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA, its clubs or Turner Broadcasting......»»

By Andrew Seligman, Associated Press CHICAGO (AP) — Zach LaVine broke for a tie-breaking dunk after stealing an inbounds pass in the closing seconds, Lauri Markkanen scored 21 points and the Chicago Bulls beat the Orlando Magic 105-101 on Monday night (Tuesday, PHL time). The Bulls blew an 18-point lead in the fourth quarter but still came away with their second win in three games after dropping seven in a row. ZACH. LAVINE. BALLGAME. pic.twitter.com/jkIPXxCLKz — Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) February 13, 2018 LaVine stole Jonathon Simmons’ inbounds attempt with 15 seconds left and finished with a thunderous slam. He added two free throws after Mario Hezonja missed a three-pointer to lift Chicago to a tight win. LaVine finished with 18 points and seven rebounds. Bobby Portis added 19 points and seven boards, and Jerian Grant had 14 points and seven assists. Hezonja led Orlando with 24 points, and Evan Fournier scored 22. The Bulls appeared in control when they led 93-75 with 8:23 left after an 11-0 run. Denzel Valentine punctuated that spurt with a dunk and two free throws. But the Magic went on a big run of their own, with Hezonja leading the way. He nailed a three-pointer to give Orlando a 98-96 lead with 3:07 remaining. Portis tied it with a floater and responded to a triple by Fournier with one of his own, making it 101-all with 2:29 left. TIP-INS Magic: C Nikola Vucevic (broken left index finger) is eyeing the first game after the All-Star break — Feb. 22 (Feb. 23, PHL time) against New York — for his return. Sidelined since late December, Vucevic said his conditioning is there, but he is still getting “more comfortable with the hand.” ″[I’ll] keep working out during the break,” he said. “Then after the break, I’ll come back and have a couple practices with the team and get it straight going into the Knicks.” ... F Aaron Gordon (strained left hip flexor) missed his seventh straight game and likely won’t return prior to the break, coach Frank Vogel said. Bulls: G Kris Dunn missed his 11th consecutive game, and coach Fred Hoiberg wasn’t sure if he will be ready to return against Toronto on Wednesday (Thursday, PHL time). If Dunn doesn’t play against the Raptors, he still might compete in the Rising Stars Challenge during All-Star weekend. “Right now it’s just about reconditioning himself, getting himself ready to sustain minutes in an NBA game,” Hoiberg said. “He’s just not quite there yet, he’s making progress. He’s still very sore from the increase in workload that he’s been doing this past week.” UP NEXT Magic: Host Charlotte on Wednesday (Thursday, PHL time). Bulls: Host Toronto on Wednesday (Thursday, PHL time)......»»

By Pat Graham, Associated PRess DENVER (AP) — Jamal Murray scored 22 of his 25 points in the third quarter, Nikola Jokic finished two rebounds shy of another triple-double and the Denver Nuggets cruised past Chicago 135-105 on Thursday night (Friday, PHL time) for their 12th straight home win over the Bulls. Chicago hasn't knocked off the Nuggets at the Pepsi Center since Feb. 8, 2006. The Bulls also remain winless in 2019, with their losing streak stretching to nine in a row. Jokic had 18 points and 11 assists as the Nuggets bounced back from a 142-111 drubbing Tuesday (Wednesday, PHL time) at the hands of Golden State in a matchup of the top two teams in the Western Conference. Lauri Markkanen scored 27 for a Chicago team that finished up a fruitless five-game trip. The Nuggets showed no residual effects from the lopsided loss to the Warriors, in which they allowed an NBA-record, 51-point first quarter. Denver picked up the defensive intensity from the start and limited the Bulls to 47 points at halftime. Denver led by as many as 40. Jokic did a little bit of everything, including a move where he went around the waist with the ball to avoid a defender and drew a foul while making the shot. That kicked up chants of "M-V-P!" The seven-footer from Serbia didn't have his best shooting night, though, missing several easy baskets in finishing 6-of-18 from the field. Bulls coach Jim Boylen took a "charge" late in the first quarter, when Torrey Craig fell on top of him after tumbling out of bounds. The ball was awarded to Chicago. TIP-INS Bulls: Rookie F Wendell Carter Jr. was ruled out with a sprained left thumb. He's day-to-day. ... G Zach LaVine was held to eight points, well below his average of 23.2. Nuggets: G Will Barton missed the game for personal reasons. ... G Gary Harris returned after missing five games with hamstring tightness and scored 14 points in 19 minutes as the Nuggets had seven players in double figures. ... Denver hit a season-high 20 three-pointers. KEEPING THEM FRESH Nuggets coach Michael Malone has been curtailing practices to keep his team fresh, especially in light of all their recent injuries. "I don't want to leave our fight in the gym and have nothing left in games," he said. STEPPING UP Boylen appreciated Kris Dunn taking accountability for his less-than-stellar play in a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers earlier in the week. Dunn had six points and five turnovers against the Lakers. "He took it on the chest that he's got to play better for us to be successful. I'm just proud of him," Boylen said. "What we're striving for is to play better basketball and to own the 'Bulls' across our chest." UP NEXT Bulls: Host Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat on Saturday (Sunday, PHL time). Nuggets: Finish a four-game homestand Saturday (Sunday, PHL time) against Cleveland......»»

By Clay Bailey, Associated Press MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo had 27 points and 11 rebounds as the Milwaukee Bucks used a third-quarter outburst to capture their third straight win, 111-101 over the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night (Thursday, PHL time). Eric Bledsoe added 16 points and D.J. Wilson scored 13 for the Bucks, who won for the 14th time in 17 games. Omri Casspi led the Grizzlies with 17 points. Marc Gasol, Mike Conley and JaMychal Green scored 14 points apiece for Memphis, which lost its ninth in the last 10. The Grizzlies took their only lead of the game at 59-58 early in the second half on a three-pointer by Gasol. The Bucks made sure any Memphis excitement was short-lived. Milwaukee ran off 19 straight points to extend its lead to 18. By that point, the Grizzlies returned to uninspired play as the Bucks outscored Memphis 41-28 in the quarter. Memphis committed eight turnovers in the third, leading to 20 points. The Bucks took an early lead thanks to anemic shooting by Memphis. The Grizzlies starters seemed lackadaisical and not up to the task of challenging one of the better teams in the NBA as Milwaukee stretched its lead to as many as 14 points. The Memphis reserves brought more energy and steadily chipped away at the Bucks advantage. Casspi and Green led the rally. But the Bucks used 15 points from Antetokounmpo to hold on for a 50-45 lead at the break. The third-quarter rally led to Milwaukee building the advantage to as many as 31 points in the fourth. TIP-INS Bucks: Milwaukee leads the series 23-22. . The Bucks lead the league in scoring differential at 10 points per game and have 23 double-digit victories this season. . Antetokounmpo recorded his 30th double-double of the season. . Memphis defeated the Bucks 116-113 on Nov. 14 (Nov. 15, PHL time). Milwaukee is now 5-0 facing teams that it lost to in its previous meeting. Grizzlies: Memphis played its only home game in a five-game stretch. .F/G Justin Holiday, obtained from the Chicago Bulls in a Jan. 4 (Jan. 5, PHL time) trade, started his first game for Memphis. . Memphis missed 10 of its first 11 shots in the game, part of the Grizzlies shooting 26 percent in the opening quarter. . The Bucks' 41 points in the third quarter was the most given up by Memphis in any period this season. UP NEXT Bucks: At Orlando to face the Magic on Saturday (Sunday, PHL time). Grizzlies: Face the Celtics in Boston on Friday (Saturday, PHL time)......»»

By Justin Parker, Associated Press CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Kemba Walker scored 24 points in just 27 minutes, and the Charlotte Hornets beat Orlando 125-100 on Monday night (Tuesday, PHL time), their 13th straight victory over the Magic. Walker had 20 points on 8-of-11 shooting in the first half and did not play in the fourth quarter. Malik Monk added 21 points as the Hornets put six players in double figures in the easy victory over the Magic and Steve Clifford, who coached Charlotte for five seasons. The Hornets improved to 18-18 with their second win in three games. Aaron Gordon scored 14 points and Nikola Vucevic had 12, but he did not play after leaving the court with a knee injury late in the third quarter. Mo Bamba had 12 rebounds in 18 minutes for the Magic, who opened a six-game trip by having a two-game winning streak snapped. Orlando led 14-4 in the opening minutes, but the Hornets answered with a 20-4 run over the next 4.5 minutes. Charlotte’s first-quarter lead reached 36-23 after a dunk by Monk. Walker found Monk open in the corner for a three-pointer as the first half clock expired, giving the Hornets a 63-53 lead. Cody Zeller added 14 for the Hornets before leaving in the third quarter with a broken right hand. Marvin Williams, Willy Hernangomez and Devonte Graham added 10 apiece. The Hornets got a boost off the bench from rookie guard Graham, who scored all his points in the third quarter, helping the Hornets extend their lead to 95-77 through three. TIP-INS Magic: D.J. Augustin (sprained right ankle) and Jonathan Simmons (sprained left ankle) did not play. Jerian Grant started in place of Augustin. . With the score tied at 18, Jonathan Isaac missed a breakaway dunk. The Hornets took their first lead on the next possession on Jeremy Lamb’s runner and never trailed again. Hornets: Guard Jeremy Lamb strained his right hamstring in the first quarter and did not return. He played nine minutes and finished with nine points and hit all four of his shots. . Zeller also had six rebounds in 24 minutes. UP NEXT Magic: Visit Bulls Wednesday (Thursday, PHL time). Hornets: Host Dallas Wednesday (Thursday, PHL time)......»»

By Ian Harrison, Associated Press TORONTO (AP) — Kawhi Leonard scored 27 points, Pascal Siakam had 20 points and 12 rebounds and the Toronto Raptors beat Chicago 95-89 on Sunday night (Monday, PHL time), their seventh straight win over the Bulls. Danny Green and Fred VanVleet each scored 10 points as the Raptors bounced back from their largest defeat of the season, a 29-point loss at Orlando on Friday (Saturday, PHL time). Lauri Markkanen had 18 points and 10 rebounds and Wendell Carter Jr. had 16 points and 11 rebounds for the Bulls, who didn't score for the first 3:19 of the fourth quarter. Chicago's Zach LaVine fouled out with 13 points. It was a poor shooting night for LaVine, who went 3-for-17, including 0-for-3 from three-point range. Kris Dunn scored 14 points, and Justin Holiday and Chandler Hutchison each had 11 as the Bulls fell to 5-8 under coach Jim Boylen. Raptors guard Kyle Lowry (sore lower back) sat for the seventh time in eight games. Toronto is 5-3 without the four-time All-Star. Ahead 68-65 to start the fourth, the Raptors got back-to-back three-pointers from Delon Wright and Siakam and held a 74-65 lead at 10:10. Carter ended Chicago's drought with a hook shot at 8:41. Chicago missed 12 of its first 15 shots in the final quarter. Markkanen's triple at 1:21 brought Chicago within 85-82, but Leonard answered with a pair of free throws. After a missed shot by Dunn, Siakam was fouled and made a pair, giving Toronto an 89-82 advantage with 25 seconds to go. Toronto outscored the Bulls 13-2 in fast-break points and scored 21 points off 18 Chicago turnovers. Toronto missed 11 of its first 14 shots and matched a season-low for points in a quarter in dreary opening frame. Holiday scored six points for Chicago and the Bulls led 20-14 after one quarter. The Raptors led by one, 40-39, at halftime. TIP-INS Bulls: Chicago matched a season-low for opponent's points in the first half. ... F Bobby Portis missed his fifth straight game because of a sprained right ankle. Raptors: Coach Nick Nurse said Lowry is recovering and should be able to return soon. Lowry also missed time with a bruised hip during this stretch of absences. ... VanVleet snapped a streak of 16 consecutive missed shots with a fast break layup in the third. VanVleet missed his final eight attempts in Friday's (Saturday, PHL time) loss to the Magic. ... Toronto went 8-7 in December. UP NEXT Bulls: Host Orlando on Wednesday night (Thursday, PHL time). Raptors: Host Utah on Tuesday night (Wednesday, PHL time)......»»

WASHINGTON Chicago Bulls coach Jim Boylen knows that Zach LaVine cant play as much hed like due to a recent ankle injury. But LaVine made the most of his 29 minutes on Friday night, scoring 19 points.....»»

By Greg Beacham, Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) — Lou Williams scored a season-high 36 points, and the Los Angeles Clippers scored 22 consecutive points during the second half of a 118-107 victory over the depleted Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night (Saturday, PHL time). Danilo Gallinari added 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Clippers, who held the Lakers without a field goal for more than six minutes late in the first meeting of the season between the Staples Center co-tenants and Los Angeles rivals. The Clippers have won 22 of their last 25 meetings with the Lakers, yet still trail the 16-time NBA champions 146-70 in the overall series. Kyle Kuzma scored 24 points and Lonzo Ball had 19 for the Lakers, who played without LeBron James, Rajon Rondo and JaVale McGee. The remaining Lakers lost for the fifth time in seven games, including back-to-back defeats for only the third time since October. James watched from the bench in street clothes after causing a pregame stir on social media when he entered the Lakers' locker room holding a glass of wine. The noted oenophile and four-time NBA MVP is day-to-day with his strained groin, but James isn't expected to miss as much time as Rondo, who is out for at least a month after surgery on his right index finger. Both teams representing this basketball-loving city missed the playoffs last season, but both are off to winning starts this year. The Lakers have been revitalized around James, while the Clippers have formed a surprisingly strong core after shedding longtime mainstays Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan and Chris Paul over the previous year. The Clippers turned a seven-point deficit into a 15-point lead early in the fourth quarter of their fourth win in five games. Williams torched his former team yet again, scoring 23 points in the second half. He hit three three-pointers, including a decisive shot with 2:23 to play, and had seven rebounds while making all 11 of his free throws. Josh Hart scored 12 points for the Lakers before getting ejected with 4:41 left after he was infuriated that Tobias Harris wasn't called for pushing off. Lakers coach Luke Walton also got a technical foul in the exchange. One night after losing at Sacramento on a buzzer-beating triple, the Lakers again couldn't win without three veteran regulars. Ball had another fascinating game as the Lakers' starting point guard, juxtaposing his exceptional defense and sublime passing with basic mistakes and an erratic shot. Ingram and Ball both picked up four fouls during the third quarter, but neither team made a big move until the Clippers scored the final nine points of the quarter and continued their one-sided run well into the fourth. TIP-INS Clippers: Williams hit a three-pointer from just past halfcourt at the halftime buzzer. ... They have won four straight "road" games against the Lakers, but lost their last "home" game in the series. Lakers: German rookie Isaac Bonga was recalled to fill a roster spot amid the injury absences. ... The Lakers showed why they're the NBA's worst team at the line by missing more free throws in the first quarter (seven) than the Pistons, Pacers, Bulls, Wizards, Raptors, Magic, Hornets, Nets, Heat, Cavaliers and Pelicans missed in their entire games Friday. ... Michael Beasley is still away from the team after his mother's death. UP NEXT Clippers: Host San Antonio on Saturday (Sunday, PHL time). Lakers: Host Sacramento on Sunday (Monday, PHL time)......»»

By Matthew Coles, Associated Press SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — JJ Redick scored 24 points and Joel Embiid had 23 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks to help the Philadelphia 76ers cruise past the Utah Jazz, 114-97 on Thursday night (Friday, PHL time). Ben Simmons, who was selected over Utah's Donovan Mitchell as Rookie of the Year last season, had his fifth triple-double of the season with 13 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists. Mitchell scored 23 points, Dante Exum added a season-high 20 and Rudy Gobert had 17 points and 15 rebounds for the Jazz. Embiid, who has a league-leading 31 double-doubles, and Gobert both had bright moments in the post but the Jazz let Redick get loose for six three-pointers. Jimmy Butler was also effective on the perimeter and drives for dunks as he scored 19 points. The 76ers (23-13) were able to disrupt the Jazz offensive sets and force them into shots they don't usually take. Utah shot 38 percent from the field. On the other end, crisp passing and constant movement off the ball kept the 76ers one step ahead all night. Utah came into the game with the best defensive rating over the last 10 games, per NBA stats, but the 76ers shot 50 percent and racked up 31 assists. Embiid and Redick each had 10 points in the second quarter as the 76ers shot 75 percent in the period to turn a seven-point deficit into a 57-52 halftime lead. The 24-8 run continued through much of the third quarter and Philadelphia led 76-60 after Mike Muscala sank a three-pointer. The Jazz never got within 15 points the rest of the way. TIP-INS 76ers: The Sixers shot 14 free throws in the third quarter (making 12) after shooting just two free throws in the entire first half. ... Redick had a four-point play in the second quarter. ... With 4:21 to play, Embiid fouled out just one point shy of 3,000 in his career when he fell and took out Rubio's legs on a play that looked like a diving football tackle. Jazz: Kyle Korver beat the shot clock and was fouled for a four-point play of his own in the first quarter, when he scored 10 points. ... Gobert has 30 double-doubles. ... The Jazz had 16 turnovers that led 26 points for Philadelphia. UP NEXT 76ers: Continue their five-game road trip at Portland on Sunday night (Monday, PHL time). Jazz: Host the New York Knicks on Saturday night (Sunday, PHL time)......»»

By Drew Packham, NBA.com There’s an international rookie from the Barcelona pipeline making waves this season. No, not Luka Doncic (although he’s not doing too shabby himself). The other foreign phenom is doing his work in Brooklyn – Rodions Kurucs. Kurucs, whom the Nets grabbed with the No. 40 pick in the 2018 Draft, has burst onto the scene, becoming a key contributor as resurgent Brooklyn has won nine of its last 10. Kurucs saw his playing time spike after Allen Crabbe went down with a knee injury, and he’s made the most of his opportunity. Since becoming the starter, the 6'9" Latvian has averaged 12.9 points and 6.0 rebounds in 29.2 minutes over seven games. His energy and defensive effort has won over coach Kenny Atkinson. “He’s just confirming, it doesn’t seem like this is a flash in the pan,” Atkinson said. “This is sustainable to me.” With Crabbe close to returning, Atkinson has a decision to make, but the team’s winning ways will make it hard to remove Kurucs from the starting lineup. Kurucs grabbed his first career double-double in Sunday’s (Monday, PHL time) 111-103 win over the Suns, then tallied another one Wednesday night (Thursday, PHL time) in Brooklyn’s 132-132 win over Charlotte in double-OT, notching 13 points, 12 rebounds, three assists and three steals. “I’m just playing basketball. I was hungry. I didn’t play for years; Now I’m enjoying it,” said the 20-year-old Kurucs, the youngest foreign-born player to ever start for the Nets. “I think also the thing I wasn’t playing in Barcelona it helped me mentally to prepare myself to be together, work harder and someday come back, I just kept working on my game and that’s it.” * * * 1. Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks Last week: 1st Doncic had some memorable moments over the past week: First, he dazzled with a career-high 32 points last Thursday (Friday, PHl time) in a loss to the Clippers. Then, he put up 23 points, 11 rebounds, nine assists and hit one of the craziest shots at the buzzer to force OT in Portland (the Mavs would eventually lose 121-118). To close out the week, Doncic just missed a triple-double with 21 points, nine rebounds and 10 assists to help the Mavs end a six-game winning streak. Doncic also hit the game-clinching free throws with 30 seconds left to seal the win. Ayton is nipping at his heels with some monster games, but Doncic is the Mavs’ everything right now, and he’s not letting up. 2. Deandre Ayton, Phoenix Suns Last week: 2nd Ayton is so close to taking over the top rung from Doncic. (If you ask his coach, Igor Kokoskov, it’s no contest for Rookie of the Year, which is saying something since the Suns coach managed Doncic on the Slovenian national team.) After jumping last week back to the second rung, Ayton is putting up monster numbers to give Doncic a run at the No. 1 spot. Check out some of the Suns big man’s numbers: Over his last three games, Ayton is averaging 20.0 points, 15.7 rebounds and 2.3 blocks while shooting 68.3 percent from the field. He’s grabbed double-digit rebounds in six straight and nine of his last 10 games. What’s most important, though, are the three shots he’s blocked in each of the last two games. “You’re seeing him put games together,” Suns veteran Jamal Crawford said. “Not just games, but quarters together. He’s doing it every single night. That’s a sign of going from good to great.” 3. Kevin Knox, New York Knicks Last week: 3rd The Knicks are mired in a five-game losing streak, but Knox has emerged as the team’s best player. Knox says the game is “starting to slow down,” and it shows in his numbers. In December he’s averaging 17.9 points and 6.1 rebounds thanks to a stretch in which he’s scored 20-plus in his last three games and five of his last eight. Knox credits his ability to hit his floater in the lane for his recent success. “It’s been really consistent the last few games,” Knox told Newsday. “So I’ve just been able to do that without going in the paint to the bigs. The bigs in this game are really good at walling up and not fouling, so being able to go to a floater [and use my] really good touch around the basket [works].” 4. Jaren Jackson Jr., Memphis Grizzlies Last week: Not ranked Jackson rejoins the Top 5 after a monumental performance against the Lakers. Jackson scored 27 points, including a game-clinching three-pointer in the final minute – over LeBron James, no less – to help Memphis snap a five-game losing streak. L.A. had no answer for Jackson, who also grabbed nine rebounds in the 107-99 win. It was the kind of performance that shows just how good Jackson can become. Over his last four games, Jackson is averaging 16.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.8 blocks while shooting 52.9 percent from the field, 44.4 pct. on three's. ''With that size, length and speed, he's a tough matchup -- period,'' coach J.B. Bickerstaff said after the win in L.A. ''He's coming into his own still, trying to figure all of this stuff out that's going on, but the skill set is unique.'' 5. Rodions Kurucs, Brooklyn Nets Last week: Not ranked Over his last three games, the Latvian has put up numbers on par with the top rookies. He’s averaged 17.7 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.0 block while seeing 35.4 minutes per game. He’s been incredibly efficient, as well, shooting 54.3 percent from the field and 55.6 percent on three's. If you haven’t had a chance to catch a Nets game, they’re playing an energetic, fun style of basketball and Kurucs seems to always be in the mix when the Nets need a big bucket or rebound. There’s no way Atkinson can keep him off the floor once Allen Crabbe returns considering the impact he’s had in the last few weeks. Just missed the cut: Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks The Hawks point guard had a decent week shooting, scoring 14.7 points on 41.2 percent shooting (40.0 pct on three's). He also put up 8.3 assists per game as the Hawks went 2-1, picking up wins in New York and Detroit before faliling at home to the Pacers. Collin Sexton, Cleveland Cavaliers Sexton drops out of the Top 5 for the first time since Nov. 29 after struggling from the field. Teams are starting to figure out how to defend Sexton, and his numbers have dipped. After averaging 16.1 ppg on 45.0 percent shooting in November (48.1 pct on three's), Sexton’s numbers dipped to 15.4 ppg while shooting 41.2 percent, 33.3 on three's. Wendell Carter Jr., Chicago Bulls The Bulls’ big man fell off the chart last week, but jumps back in as other rookies have faltered. Carter averaged 9.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and helped the Bulls go 2-1 this week, picking up wins over the Magic and Cavs. He’s only seeing about 20-25 minutes per night, but it’s clear to see the talent is there. With increased time and maturation, Carter could become a big-time big man. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, LA Clippers Gilgeous-Alexander has literally been up-and-down over his past 12 games, going from scoring in double digits to single digits every other game. It’s quite odd, really. This week, SGA had 14 points and six assists in a win over the Nuggets, then disappeared against the Warriors with three points and two assists. Wednesday (Thursday, PHL time), the Clippers rookie put up 13 points on 6-for-11 shooting to help LA hold off a Kings rally. Landry Shamet, Philadelphia 76ers After jumping into the Top 5 with some clutch performances, the Sixers’ sharpshooter takes a tumble after a quiet week in which he scored eight points over two games, going 1-for-6 from three-point range. * * * (All stats through Thursday, Dec. 27).....»»

By Carlos Rodriguez, Associated Press MEXICO CITY (AP) — Nikola Vucevic scored 26 points, including a tie-breaking jumper with 28 seconds remaining, and the Orlando Magic snapped a three-game losing streak with a 97-91 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Thursday night (Friday, PHL time) in their first of two games in Mexico. Vucevic shot 11-for-21 from the field and grabbed 10 rebounds, while D.J. Augustin added 15 points for the Magic. Zach LaVine scored 23 points but the Bulls (6-23) lost for the 10th time in their last 11 games and remained with the worst record in the Eastern Conference. After Lauri Markkanen tied it at 91 with 1:06 left to play, Vucevic nailed a 15-foot jumper to put the Magic ahead and Augustin iced the game with four free throws in the final seconds. The game was the NBA's 27th in Mexico, and Orlando will play Utah on Saturday (Sunday, PHL time). Only the United States and Canada have hosted more. Eight of the last 26 games in Mexico have been regular-season contests......»»

By Matthew Coles, Associated Press SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Donovan Mitchell scored 21 points and Derrick Favors had 17 to help the Utah Jazz romp over the short-handed Miami Heat 111-84 on Wednesday night (Thursday, PHL time). "It started from the tip," Mitchell said after the Jazz led by as many as 42. "We came out strong and didn't let up." Playing against one of his basketball idols probably for the final time, Mitchell unleashed a variety of moves — the crossovers and misdirection dribbles that have prompted comparisons to a young Dwyane Wade. Mitchell has acknowledged he studies film of Wade to develop his own offensive repertoire. On Tuesday night (Wednesday, PHL time), Mitchell took Wade to dinner in downtown Salt Lake City and gifted him a rocking chair. Then, the second-year guard, who said he calls Wade on the phone often and picks his brain, matched up and scored on the 12-time All-Star at least a few times in the blowout. Rodney McGruder paced the Heat with 16 points and Kelly Olynyk had 14 as Miami played without Hassan Whiteside and Goran Dragic. Wade, set to retire after the season, scored six points. Less than two weeks ago, the Jazz also went up big in the first quarter against the Heat, leading by as many as 19 before allowing a 20-0 run and watching Wade sink two free throws to win it in Miami, 102-100. This time, there was no such drama. The Jazz sprinted out to a 34-10 lead on hot shooting and tenacious defense that denied the Heat any easy looks early. Favors went 7-of-8 and had eight boards in 19 minutes, while Rudy Gobert had 10 points and 11 rebounds. Kyle Korver, who has opened up the floor for the Jazz since arriving via trade from Cleveland, made four more three-pointers and scored 16 points. The Jazz have had an up-and-down year by any measure. This win marked Utah's second by 27 points or more in eight days, but the Jazz have also lost games by 33 and 50 points and have yet to reach the .500 mark at home (now 5-6). Even within the same game, the Jazz were nearly unstoppable in the first quarter — shooting 70 percent — but went through long stretches later in the game when they couldn't generate any offense and had a spate of turnovers. They ended up shooting 52.6 percent, including 16-of-32 from three-point range, with 17 turnovers. The Heat have been riding their own rollercoaster. They led by 31 in the second quarter of a win against New Orleans on Nov. 30 (Dec. 1, PHL time) and then trailed by 31 — and more — in the second quarter to the Jazz less than two weeks later. MISSING YOU Whiteside, who left the court for the locker room during the fourth quarter of a home loss to Orlando last week, is still not with the team for personal reasons. He later said he just needed to go to the bathroom, but Miami coach Erik Spoelstra was upset and said the Heat "handled it as a team." Whiteside is expected back with the club on Friday (Saturday, PHL time). Dragic, who has battled a sore right knee for the last six weeks and had it drained in mid-November, missed the game — his 12th scratch of the season. Fellow guard Dion Waiters hasn't played at all since having ankle surgery in January. TIP-INS Heat: Wade, making his last regular-season appearance in Salt Lake City, got a standing ovation when he checked in midway through the first quarter and another when exited the court after the game. ... The Heat's 15 points were a season low in the first quarter for a Jazz opponent. Jazz: Raul Neto missed the game with a sore right leg. ... The win snapped a four-game skid against Miami. UP NEXT Heat: Visit the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night (Saturday, PHL time). Jazz: At the Orlando Magic on Saturday (Sunday, PHL time)......»»

By John Jackson, Associated Press CHICAGO (AP) — De'Aaron Fox scored 23 of his 25 points in the second half, and the Sacramento Kings rallied to beat the Chicago Bulls 108-89 on Monday night (Tuesday, PHL time). Fox went 8-for-11 from the field after missing each of his first five shots in the first half. Bogdan Bogdanovic and Marvin Bagley III added 16 points apiece as Sacramento closed out a 3-1 road trip. Chicago led by as many as 14 in its ninth loss in 10 games. The Bulls were coming off a franchise-record 133-77 loss to the Boston Celtics on Saturday (Sunday, PHL time). Zach LaVine led Chicago with 19 points, and Lauri Markkanen had 13. After falling behind 17-0 on Saturday (Sunday, PHL time), the Bulls got off to a better start in this one. They led 33-26 at the end of the first quarter and 56-45 at halftime. Chicago had a 66-57 lead in the third before Sacramento closed the quarter with a 24-8 run. The speedy Fox sparked the offense with 15 points during the key stretch, but the Kings also picked up the pressure on defense. The Bulls shot 22-for-41 (53.7 percent) from the field in the first half, but were just 6-for-16 (37.5 percent) in the third. Sacramento kept up the intensity in the fourth and Chicago never made a serious push. TIP-INS Kings: Buddy Hield and Iman Shumpert each scored 14 points. Willie Cauley-Stein had 11 points and 16 rebounds. ... Sacramento improved to 14-12. It's the latest point in a season it has been above .500 since the 2005-06 season. The Kings finished 44-38 that year in their most recent playoff appearance. Bulls: G Kris Dunn (sprained left knee) and F Bobby Portis (sprained right knee) returned to the lineup after sitting out nearly seven weeks. Dunn finished with nine points in 20 minutes, and Portis had nine points in 19 minutes. ... G Justin Holiday went 1-for-6 on three-pointers. He has made at least one triple in 39 consecutive games dating to last season. He's the only NBA player with at least one three-pointer in every game this season. TIPPING POINT Less than a week into his tenure, Bulls coach Jim Boylen faced a crisis over the weekend. Following the loss to the Celtics, Boylen planned to practice on Sunday (Monday, PHL time) even though the Bulls had played back-to-back games. Some players reportedly discussed not showing up. Instead of a practice session, a lengthy team meeting was held. Before Monday's (Tuesday, PHL time) game, Boylen said everything was fine and he would continue to push hard. "I expected something like yesterday to happen," he said. "I've been waiting on it, I was prepared for it, I took it head on." UP NEXT Kings: Host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night (Thursday, PHL time). Bulls: Play the Orlando Magic in Mexico City on Thursday night (Friday, PHL time) to begin a three-game trip......»»